The Town of Huntsville has confirmed the cybersecurity incident from earlier this month was a ransomware attack.
Denise Corry, Chief Administrative Officer, says they are not sure yet whether the impacted data includes personal information. She adds the investigation may take several weeks to complete, but if it uncovers that personal data was compromised, they’ll inform the people affected as soon as possible.
A ransomware attack is when data or system access is held hostage by an unauthorized party to demand payment from its owner, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
“We know that you might have questions about the details of the ransomware attack,” says Mayor Nancy Alcock in a March 27 update posted to the town’s YouTube page. “It is important to note that there is limited information that we are able to share, due to security reasons and the fact that this is an open investigation.”
In the meantime, officials say the property tax system was unaffected and payments are still due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The Algonquin Theatre’s online ticketing system has also been restored.
“Know that the town remains committed to transparency to the fullest extent possible, and it is our priority to keep you informed as we cooperate with the authorities in this investigation,” continues Alcock.
**With files from Mathew Reisler